It's March and the first signs of spring are in the air; the sun's starting to shine a little bit brighter and the birds are beginning to chirp. But more importantly, St. Patrick's Day is quickly approaching, and what better way to celebrate the ultra-green-alcohol-infused-non-stop-party day than by hosting your own St Patty's party! This shamrock explosion of a day is one of the biggest drinking holidays of the year, so it is time to organize your alcohol and bar area in preparation for an unforgettable St. Patrick's Day!
Gather and Purge
As always, the first step to organizing a space in your home is to purge and clean it all out! Do a full sweep of your bar area and gather all of your alcohol, accessories, and glassware. Take inventory of everything you have and start to group things into keep, toss, and donate piles. Throw away any expired mixers and "donate" alcohol and accessories that you'll never use to a friend. When organizing a small space like a home bar, it's all about quality over quantity. You can also pour the last few ounces of liquor into a small glass bottle or jar to eliminate waste!
Buy the Essentials
Now that you've cleared out a bunch of space, it's time to buy the basics that you're missing. There are a few products that are ESSENTIAL for every bar. As long as you have these on hand, you're sure to never run out of drinks to make.
Essential alcohol: Vodka, gin, whiskey, tequila, white rum, and dark rum.
Essential Mixers: Orange juice, cranberry juice, pineapple juice, club soda, ginger ale, and tonic water.
Essential Extras: White or Demerara sugar, simple syrups, ice, lemon and lime juice, and bitters.
Don't Forget the Tools
Tools are essential parts of a home bar that you absolutely cannot forget. But you don't need to get them all at once. Focus on the tools you'll use the most, like stirrers, a bottle opener, cocktail shakers, and a corkscrew. Strainers, peelers, and juicers are also popular. If you want to go the extra mile, consider tools such as a muddler, a jigger, a small cutting board, and a good knife. Also, think about investing in some nice glassware. This is not only a nice touch but can be put on display to help decorate the bar.
Organizing Items in the Bar
Much like a pantry, a home bar functions best when organized into zones. Group liquor bottles and mixers together by type, set aside an area for any specialty glassware like scotch and shot glasses, put drink mixing supplies like shakers, stirrers, and measuring cups together. Finally, extra accessories like straws, cocktail napkins, and coasters are grouped together to serve delicious drinks in style. Use containers to keep these items in their groups or consider buying some magnetic holders for your tools together or a small rotating shelf for easy access.
Organizing the Actual Bar
Now for the fun part! There are many ways to implement and style a home bar. The choice is really up to you from a versatile cart, a simple table, a remodeled bookcase, or a full-fledged bar area! How you style your bar reflects your own personality and is almost as important as how you organize it. But whatever style you choose, the key to a balanced liquor cabinet is not overloading it with clutter. Start by displaying only the liquor bottles you drink most often, then use the size rule to place them – smaller bottles in the front and larger in the back. If you're looking for something more organized, install a small shelving unit on the wall and use it for glassware or small accessories. The best piece of advice is to utilize all of the space and display the goods you use and like most.
Make yourself a drink
After all of that hard work in putting your home bar together, you definitely deserve a drink. It's time to mix yourself up something yummy, relax and enjoy your newly organized home bar :)